ICYMI: Dessert Goals Fest Was Actually Goals

Ate my weight in dessert and have no regrets.

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On a typical Saturday morning in Brooklyn, it’s typical to see health nuts jogging, drinking green juice, and extolling the virtues of chia seeds. But on March 25th, all caution was thrown to the wind at the Greenpoint venue Dobbin St, where Dessert Goals was staging the sugar rush of the century.

A festival of fructose, Dessert Goals is a two-day dessert expo in its second year, featuring sweets from 21 vendors. Tickets sold out quickly–and for good reason: there were interactive workshops, free candy from Dylan’s Candy Bar, and even gummy bear chairs!

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The theme of overindulgence was perfectly presented, as the front of the venue was decorated with giant donut balloons, proof of entrance was a candy bracelet, and ‘Treat Yo Self’ postcards were up for sale.

But the pièce de résistance was the Instagram garden, sponsored by Bustle and Viva La Juicy Sucre, which was specifically designed to be the perfect backdrop for foodie photos.

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All of the food was definitely photo-worthy. From Boqueria’s decadent churro s’mores to Baba Cool’s healthy dragonfruit bowls, vendors were all on their A-game with great displays and fabulous flavors. And while it was all tempting–from ring dings to vegan ice cream to mustached macarons (and more)–the stomach only has so much room. Here's some of the highlights.

OG Banana Pudding, Baonanas

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This was like the banana pudding of Magnolia Bakery fame, only better. Instead of using a typical boxed Jell-O mix, the pudding is based on Baonanas co-founder Trish’s Filipino leche flan recipe, and the result is a perfectly fluffy concoction layered with bananas and wafers.

While there are tons of flavors, from vegan ‘coconanas’ to matcha green tea and Oreo, the OG baonanas was incomparable. 10/10 would devour again.

Cheese Caramel, Call Me Caramel

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Gruyere is grate (obligatory cheese pun), and caramel is cool, so it was only natural to combine them. Enter Jess Sennett and Steve Earthman, the brains behind Call Me Caramel.

As artisan gruyere is known as ‘cheese candy,’ it only seemed natural to make the nickname a reality. The samples were small, but they were also chewy and perfectly sweet and salty. Having withdrawals right now.

Halo Halo In One Mankie, Jae NYC Eats

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Jae NYC Eats has made a name for itself by making Twinkie-inspired cakes with a Filipino twist. Their Mankie, which is a mini cakie doughnut, is a rainbow treat full of fruity flavors, including ube, jackfruit, and pandan.

Its name, Halo Halo In One, refers to Halo Halo, which is Tagalog for ‘mixed together,’ which connects to the treat’s tie-dyed appearance. The cake itself was wonderfully moist, and the coconut and ube drizzles were perfectly gooey.

Jae took it one step further by topping the confection with Fruity Pebbles and pieces of flan. Overall, it tasted like childhood, but in a new and interesting way. No clue what pandan is, but it tastes uhh-mazing.

Fish Ice Cream Cones, Taiyaki NYC

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Fish and ice cream typically don’t go together for obvious reasons. Then again, Taiyaki NYC isn’t typical. Taiyaki, which translates to fried fish in Japanese, is a fish-shaped waffle filled with sweet red bean paste, which is an unfamiliar flavor, but welcomed all the same. As the tai fish is a symbol of greatness in the culture, it only makes sense that the waffle is equally amazing: chewy, thick, and warm.

This heat is contrasted by the green tea ice cream, which is creamy and light. The ice cream is drizzled with a tangy strawberry sauce, and the whole confection is garnished with fluffy balls of mini mochi, a dusting of matcha powder, and a crunchy Pirouette cookie. It looked so good, I sacrificed a perfect picture for an even more perfect mouthful.

Cookie Pie, Little Red Kitchen Bake Shop

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The combos presented at Dessert Goals never ceased to tempt the stomach. Little Red Kitchen's cookie pie, an ingenious marriage of cookie and pie, was no exception. On offer were classic flavors like Rocky Road, Chocolate Peanut Butter, and Snickerdoodle, as well as new treats such as “The Kitchen Sink.”

While the pie does not actually contain houseware, it does have potato chips, pretzels, dried cherries, and chocolate. A sweet and salty masterpiece, the pie was gooey and crunchy and thick. While the sample was on the smaller side, it melted on the mouth and created instant cravings. May or may not have ordered a pie from their website.